Come Undone
by IceQueenRex
Summary: It's hard to distinguish between what you want and what you should be. Speedy and Raven know this dilemma all too well and one harmless night, they find solace in knowing they're not alone. But is that really enough for the both of them?
1. Cocktail

Come Undone

Chapter 1: Cocktail

Harmless encounters – or rather previously assumed harmless encounters – aren't all that harmless once you realise what happened consequently after them. People are rather strange to put it lightly. People are...only human and it's therefore all the more easier to be pulled into the tug of events and end up caught in something you'd never have thought of prior to the occurrence. Being a hero, you automatically have many encounters, it comes with the territory after all and therefore they become mandatory, common and you learn to withstand the intensity of it no matter the situation. It's sort of like a cocktail; you mix something potentially deadly with something else and it tastes better. Like Kahlua and milk. You can have so much of it because you can't taste the alcohol when all of a sudden, you're stumbling around, laughing your head off and making an absolute fool out of yourself.

It's dangerous to get too used to things. Because you never know when something will suddenly surprise you. Unfortunately, these thoughts weren't running through their minds that night.

The door to the roof of the Titan's Tower was thrown open with a loud bang and a sigh of relief and despair could be heard from the disheveled person who had opened it. The boy leaned his hands either side of the door frame, one of them holding onto a full bottle of Jack Daniels and his head was bent low. He swore under his breath, took a swig of the whiskey and swore again. Young heroes from all over were invited to Jump City in celebration of Cyborg's birthday party. No one was sure exactly who'd bought the drinks but one thing had led to another and pretty soon it just seemed fun to try whatever was at the bar whom, Speedy was sure Cyborg had built specially.

Normally, Roy enjoyed parties like these because they were fun and a great time to mingle but today hadn't been the best of days when some dude who had tried to steal Di-Lithium had commented on him being the only one in the group who was without any powers. That had stung. No matter how his teammates had tried to calm him down, his mood remained blackened. And now, tonight, looking at the number of heroes with powers just made him all the more depressed.

From somewhere not too far from the tower, a violet clad figure stood glaring at the ice cream carton in her hand. With an angry flourish, she tore off the plastic covering, pulled off the lid and tore off the wooden spoon stuck on the underside, digging it into the butterscotch ice cream and shoving it into her mouth before taking to the air and flying home. Raven's day had left much to be desired. First, she'd been silently putting up decorations for Cyborg's party when Starfire had decided to fly in an accidentally spill the contents of her bowl of batter all over Raven, then, just as she was about to clear up, Beast Boy thought it would be funny to drop some confetti all over her.

Robin had told the others off but of course Beast Boy had to say something which although wasn't meant to be hurtful, turned out quite the opposite: "Yeah, let's all go out of our way to making sure that the Princess of the Underworld is happy before she calls her father to blow our brains out."

Since then, she hadn't spoken to anyone except Robin who seemed genuinely concerned about her. But she'd brushed him off saying it was nothing at all and a few minutes after everyone had arrived and surprised Cyborg, she'd taken off bitterly. And ice cream seemed the right route to take. She was a girl after all. Girls liked ice cream. Or perhaps it was the stereotypical image of digging into a pint of sweetness and finishing it off that was more appealing. The sorceress flew up to the roof of the tower, mumbling incoherent angry insults under her breath and at the exact same moment that she landed, Speedy pushed his way out of the doorway, slamming the door shut and taking another swig. Neither noticed each other as they walked across the roof towards each other, their eyes only on the stuff in their hands or on the ground.

It just so happened, that a few feet from each other, Speedy decided to take a long drink and at the same time, Raven shoved another spoonful into her mouth. And upon looking up, they both froze; Speedy mid-gulp and Raven with the spoon sticking out of her mouth. It was a rather comical scene. Violet eyes blinked flatly and behind the mask, a pair of deep jaspers blinked back. Ever so slowly, Speedy swallowed and lowered the bottle from his lips and Raven pulled the spoon from between her lips and cleared her throat in an attempt to ease the awkwardness of the situation.

"JD?"

"Ice cream?" they both said in unison, holding their respected hands out.

A hint of humour crossed Roy's lips and Raven's eyes softened as she pulled back. They both sighed and the girl said softly, "I guess there's space for two on this roof."

They walked over to the edge where they sat down, both cross legged as they watched the sea below them, the city to their right and the food in their hands. It was a comfortable silence in the cool, night air and neither superhero was intent on spoiling the quiet that they'd waited an entire day for. A breeze flew past them, brushing tendrils of lavender hair over Raven's cheeks. Roy ran a hand through his own hair and sighed heavily.

"So," Raven finally spoke. "Why are you up here and not down there?"

Speedy thought about how he'd answer the sorceress. They didn't know each other too well at all which was quite silly considering they were in the same line of business. He chuckled and drank the hot liquid which scorched his throat yet felt oddly satisfying at the same time.

"I'm an antisocial freak."

Raven took another spoonful. "Says the person who thought up the idea of throwing Cyborg a party in the first place."

He laughed. "That's where the freak part comes in." The quarter moon drifted in between the clouds and its reflection lay like a waif in the dark sea below them. Looking over at her sullen face, he felt compelled to ask, "And what's the Teen Titan's prized possession doing up here by herself?"

A warm feeling erupted in her chest at being called a "prized possession" because even though it wasn't true, at least he said something nice. "That would be Starfire, but...I suppose I'm even more of an antisocial freak than you are."

Masked eyes turned to her and offered her a reassuring smile. "Nah, you're the gem of the Titans I think."

She didn't look at him when she asked blithely, "And what makes you say that?"

He leaned closer, almost conspiratorially as he whispered, "Because you're different."

Despite everything, she cracked a smile, one that Roy hadn't ever seen her show before. It was strange how comfortable he felt up here with the dark girl, the one who was most usually shrouded in mystery and silence. He'd seen many a time the extent of her powers and had to admit he felt extremely impressed yet not at all inferior next to her. It was almost as if her humility prevented him from feeling beneath her.

"So really now, why are you up here?" he asked, leaning back on one hand as his feet dangled over the edge. One wrong move and he'd be falling to his death. That didn't seem too scary at the moment however.

Her hand held the spoon a few inches from her mouth and her eyes were downcast. Why was she up here? Why was she feeling so estranged from the people who were supposed to be her friends? Why were her emotions choosing to betray her at a time like this? All these questions left her with a bitter taste in her mouth that not even the butterscotch could clean. "Because I'm different," she said quietly. "Being around the daughter of an insane demon with a thirst for power doesn't exactly put people at ease."

He whistled lowly, nodding his head sympathetically and offering the quarter empty bottle over to her. Much to his surprise, she took it and handed him her pint, taking a long drink from the bottle. She made a face as she lowered the bottle from her lips, clearing her throat at the new flavour that was coursing through it. He laughed and patted her shoulder, noticing for the first time that she wasn't wearing her usual outfit but a plain, dark purple t-shirt and a pair of old jeans. He grinned. "You look good like this."

A slender grey hand reached over and fingered the collar of his short sleeved white shirt and quirked her lips. "So do you."

He winked at her and took a spoonful of the ice cream, savouring the sweetness of it as it slid down his throat. It had been a while since he'd had ice cream now that he thought about it and butterscotch was one of his favourite flavours. It was interesting indeed that he'd be having it with Raven, sitting on top of the roof, skimping on the party and escaping the world of heroes. He finally voiced his thoughts. "You know, I haven't had butterscotch ice cream in a long time. I'm glad you're sharing this wonderful occasion with me, Raven, you should never have butterscotch alone."

Amethyst orbs turned to him innocently yet with acknowledgement at his statement. Her fingers traced the mouth of the bottle and her eyes looked like an abyss in the night and Roy found himself feeling for the girl. He couldn't imagine how it might be for her as a person, living amongst people who should love you but still keep their distance. Perhaps she'd be utterly humiliated and upset that he felt sorry for her, but it was more than that, it was empathy. He'd been through her case more than a million times before. Perhaps he was still going through it.

Raven ran a hand up her arm timidly and took another sip of the golden liquid. It tasted horrible, but at the moment, nothing seemed to faze her. "What's your story?"

He snorted mirthlessly. "My story is pathetic."

Giving him an encouraging look, she told him gently, "Enlighten me."

The boy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Don't get me wrong, I love being a hero; I like saving people, I like the action and I love the feeling that a few times a week you're doing something good. It...helps my conscious I guess." Raven nodded understandingly and reached over for a spoonful of ice cream. Leaning back on both hands, the red head looked to the sky, the faint moonlight cast over his features in a way that made his profile really striking. The girl watched him carefully, taking in his strong features, mentally burning that image into her mind. "But..." he continued in a softer voice, "I'm not sure what else I'm supposed to do. Saving the day is my life, my job. Sometimes I wish there was something more but when I think about it, I wonder if I'm the only one who feels that way. Everything's just confusing." Looking down at his lap and chuckling to himself, he scratched his head and admitted ruefully, "I guess...in the end...I'm still only a hero."

Raven bit her lip and turned away from him. She knew a thing or two about what it was like to only be a hero. "Do you ever wonder if...maybe that's just all we're destined to be?"

He smiled bitterly. "All the time."

A feeling of longing went through her then but it was gone in a few moments and replaced by irritation and scorn. "We're really a couple of sad idiots sitting up here eating ice cream and drinking whiskey, aren't we?"

He tried to look thoughtful for a moment, tapping his finger to his chin. "Hm, I'd like to think of us as being two insightful, deep idiots sitting up here eating ice cream and drinking whiskey. Sounds more..._intense_." Taking the bottle from her, he lifted it up with a lopsided smirk, "How about it? A toast?"

Rolling her eyes but nodding good naturedly, Raven said boredly, "I'll drink to that."

Roy gave her another wink and took a very long drink, lifting the bottle up and tilting it to it was perpendicular to his lips. Raven watched with mild humour, the drinking capacity of boys. Pulling it away, he gave a satisfied sigh and handed it over to her. Taking it, she followed suit and cringed with a shudder as she drank. When she was done, after almost choking on the foreign liquid, she held the bottle up into the air and said with surprising vigour – though still in that usual deadpanned tone, "May we one day find a reason to our existence as superheroes." Jasper eyes watched as all traces of what could only be described as playfulness left her face and what remained was drawn, tired and crestfallen.

Reaching over with a masculine arm, the boy pushed a few short tendrils of hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing softly against her cheek. Stiffening up shortly, Raven determinedly kept her eyes on the sea. Speedy was a hero, just like her and that was all they could ever be; heroes. There had to be boundaries between heroes whether they liked it or not. It wasn't what she actually wanted but more of an unspoken rule. A rule that often left her feeling down.

Sighing, she handed the bottle over to him and spooned more butterscotch into her mouth. She had left that evening looking for no company only to find that she didn't mind having some at the moment. Someone who wasn't going to make her feel unwanted. Spooning out the last spoonful, she turned to him. "Do you want the last bit of it?"

A slow, lazy smile made its way onto his chiseled lips. "Why not, hand it over, darl."

Raising a thin brow at the nickname, she handed the spoon to him but without taking hold of it, he bent down and enveloped the spoon head with his mouth, therefore letting her feed him. Narrowing her eyes, Raven muttered bitingly, "Lazy idiot," under her breath before pulling the spoon out of his mouth and dumping it into the empty container. The red head snickered and pulled back, sending her a mock pout.

Taking another drink from the half empty bottle as he watched the moon float through the sky, Roy's fingers traced the ground beside him absentmindedly until he came into contact with something smooth and sensitive. It was Raven's hand. He expected her to flinch or pull back suddenly but, surprising him, she remained still, even as his fingers moved over the back of her palm going over her knuckles and the sensitive places between her fingers. His thumb caressed her index finger gently and it may have been a flutter of wind, but he could have sworn he heard a sigh escape her lips.

A sad laugh was heard from the dark haired girl and when Roy finally looked over to her, he saw a look of irony on her face. "Funny isn't it?"

"What is?"

"The steel irony of it all. You'll be gone tomorrow and it'll be as if tonight never happened. Just terrific." Raven stood up and folded her arms, looking out in annoyance at the gentle waves below her. "It's just fantastic."

He lifted up the bottle and she took it, finishing a good amount of it before handing it back. When the bottle lay empty near the ledge, the archer too stood next to the girl, standing as close to her as he could. He smirked devilishly and traced his fingers down her arm until he reached her hand, where he laced his fingers through hers. Dark eyes widened in protest but then she turned to look at the playful look on his face; his face was inches from hers, the quirk of his lips making her tremble. "I'll remember tonight. We both will." Unconsciously, her own fingers squeezed back and they just stood like that, both feeling a little less lonely than the moments before.

Below them, the party raged on but up here, it was a picture of peace and comfort for two people who needed it most. It was a seemingly harmless encounter between a hero and a heroine, an archer and a sorceress, a boy and a girl. What unravelled after though, was far from harmless and perhaps in the near future they'd find where exactly they stood in society and with each other. But at least for tonight, they weren't alone.

* * *

A/N: Uhm...this sorta just came up one afternoon but I have to admit, my mind is full of ideas for future chapters! I'm hoping you all liked it! I know I absolutely adore Speedy/Raven. This story won't be that long, maybe ten or so chapters. I think that the chapters will get longer seeing as I'll have a lot to fit into ten chapters but I really hope that this gets a good response from ya'll! Please review and tell me what you think and any ideas on what you think should come is always welcome! :) Just no flames please!!

Peace out!  
Rex


	2. Comfort

Come Undone

Chapter 2: Comfort

"Hm...I can't decide between the apple pie and the key lime pie..."

Dark eyes shone underneath the shadow of a cap with light amusement at the red head sitting across from her. The boy ran a hand through his hair while reading the menu, a slight frown on his forehead.

"You had the key lime pie last time, try something different," Raven stated smoothly after she had ordered her usual cup of chamomile tea. The waiter looked expectantly and slightly impatiently at Roy, who had been tapping an incessant finger to his chin. Upon hearing her, he looked up and grinned appreciatively.

"What would I do without you?" Turning to the waiter, he said, "I guess that means apple pie then."

Glad to have finally written down the order, he left the two Titans alone. Their planned rendezvous' ever since that night were always looked forward to, especially considering the fact that it was rather exciting to have a friend outside their usual group. He had actually asked her that night itself, to have lunch with him the next weekend in Metropolis. It didn't take more than a second for the sorceress to agree and since then, they'd been having lunch or tea every weekend, sometimes even during the week if it was a particularly boring day.

Both had managed to keep their growing friendship a secret from their friends, knowing full well just how they would react. A hero's first priority was the city they kept safe and if Robin or Bee found out that one of their teammates were off gallivanting outside of town for no reason other than someone of the opposite sex, imaginations may start to get a little out of control, not to mention trusts would be broken.

Raven sighed to herself at the thought and looked over at the park below them. It reminded her somewhat of Central Park in New York. The huge lakes glittered in the sunlight and cast pretty reflections all over the terrace, where they were sitting. "What do you think they're thinking about now?"

Speedy eyed her carefully and immediately knew that she was thinking of their friends. He shrugged. "Does it matter? They never ask where we've been when we get home, so I guess their thoughts aren't exactly on us."

She looked at him then, the light reflecting off her eyes in a way that made his heart skip a beat. "I hope so," she said softly. Their food arrived a moment later. Raven sipped her tea contentedly and swirled the amber liquid around her cup. She wore a plain black, short-sleeved t-shirt, a denim jacket and a pair of jeans with a baseball cap and was glad for the outfit change. It made her feel for a few hours that for now she wasn't Raven the hero...but just Raven.

They'd both agreed to dress normally whenever they met so that there'd be little chance of anyone recognising them. Raven couldn't do anything about her skin but at least the cap hid some of her identity. It was a little more difficult for Speedy considering he had to remove his mask. Even in front of Raven, he had to keep some things to himself so while he took his mask off, he wore a pair of aviators. The girl thought he looked rather nice in them though perhaps it was more because she'd like to have the satisfaction of removing those glasses and see the eyes behind. Of course, restraint was Raven's middle name – amongst the long list of others – and she knew that it wouldn't be soon that she found out what he hid behind those black frames.

"Err...do you want some pie?"

Amethyst orbs blinked suddenly at the question and she looked blankly across the table at Speedy who had a quizzical look on his face. It was only then that she realised how long she must have been staring at him. Shaking her head quickly, the girl replied distractedly,

"No thanks."

He grinned, waving the spoon which had a big chunk of the apple pie on it, in front of her face. "You sure? It's actually almost as good as the key lime pie. Though I think I like this one because it has cinnamon. I like cinnamon...or maybe I like nutmeg...I don't know I can't really distinguish between the two..." As he rambled on, Raven felt a strong surge of affection towards him and realised just how lucky she was to have someone to talk to who was in the same ship as she. If all went well, he could be first mate, her being captain of course.

Without thinking, the words burst forth from her mouth. "You have cinnamon coloured freckles."

It was his turn to blink. "I do?"

She nodded and then sipped her tea. Roy smirked at her then and Raven knew he was thinking less than clean thoughts. "How long did you have to stare at my face to figure that out?"

Rolling her eyes, she scoffed, "I was hardly staring."

He held up a hand. "Oh trust me, you were staring, I'm used to it," he joked though Raven didn't find it particularly funny at all.

"Well don't stop there, tell me what you really think of yourself." Sarcasm dripped like honey in her tone, so much so that the boy almost winced. But over the past few weeks he had grown used to her personal cuffs and dry humour, finding it almost comforting as strange as it was.

"Well I'll tell you what I think of _you_, Little Miss Sunshine."

"Go for it."

The deadly smirk that followed would have made anyone weak in the knees. "I think that the more time you spend with me, the more you get to unleash all that pent up stress, hence the sarcasm."

Violet brows rose. "Is that so? Well I'll tell _you_ something carrot top," she paused for emphasis, a quirk in her lips. "I think that the more time you spend with me, the more you're able to unleash all that cockiness that you can't express in front of your teammates, hence the arrogance."

"Ouch." But he still smiled at her despite it all. He could afford to in front of her. With a shrug, he spoke again. "I shall dub thee my unleashing partner."

"So now I'm your outlet? Brilliant," the girl commented dryly.

Jasper eyes winked from behind glasses and even though she couldn't see, she could damn well feel it. "That, I am."

Although the smile wasn't evident on her lips, the warmth and humour in her eyes were unmistakable and it brought a funny feeling into his chest. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't stand the distance between them. Think how easy it would be for both of them if they were just on the same team. None of this sneaking around would be necessary.

"So, carrot top? What's the plan now?" she asked, taking another long drink from her tea.

"I say we go vandalise some school."

"Seriously now."

"Okay, how about we try our hand at bungee jumping off the Metropolis Bridge?"

"You're really not funny."

"Or we could start making out right here in front of everyone."

A tense silence followed as Raven blinked blankly back at him. Unable to contain his laughter anymore, Roy burst out laughing, darkening her mood. Narrowing her eyes at him, she folded her arms and glared.

"As I said; you're really not funny."

"I may not be, but that look you gave me sure was!" he laughed, shaking his head at her lack of humour. He loved how he could rile her up like that. He also loved how he was the only one allowed to do so who wouldn't walk away with his legs tied around his wrists. Apparently Beast Boy hadn't been so lucky.

Letting out a breath, the corners of her lips turned up ever so slightly. Speedy always tried to find a way to lift her spirits and even if it didn't work, his presence around her was good enough. Running a hand through her violet hair, Raven said softly, "If we're both done, I think we should go for a walk."

Looking up at her he nodded. "The park?" At her own nod, he smiled and stood, extending his hand for her to take. "Alright then, let's go Princess."

Upon standing, a deadly scowl was sent his way. "Don't call me Princess."

He mock pouted. "But you look as beautiful as one."

Rolling her eyes, Raven grabbed the sleeve of his shirt with a jerk and dragged him out of the restaurant, down the stairs and out into the park. "Shut up and walk."

The air was clean and smelled of pine and nettle for some strange reason. They chose a lesser travelled path and walked through the green. It was growing cooler and the evening breeze had begun. A soft sigh escaped the girl's pale lips and Raven looked up at the setting sun, going over the skyline of skyscrapers. She'd hardly been to a city which wasn't next to the sea. The Metropolis bay was really more like a very huge river that ran through the city, the only river that ran through the city. It was different, but she wasn't sure if it was something she could get used to.

Roy hummed softly to himself, hands in his pockets as he walked. The change of scenery was much needed. Looking over at the girl, he saw a distant look on her face and realised how absent minded they were walking. "Hey," he said softly, "What's on your mind?"

Dropping her gaze to the ground, she answered, "Not much."

"Lies." When she looked up into his knowingly smirking face, she gave a small chuckle.

"Just thinking about when I go home. I guess I'll have to hang in there a little longer until I get everything straightened out." Roy nodded understandingly and sighed heavily, draping an arm around her shoulder which she surprisingly didn't throw off.

"D'you think we'll ever get this straightened out?" he asked, doubt evident in his tone.

The sorceress hesitated before answering. "I don't know."

He laughed, a low sound in his chest. "What a bunch of screw ups we are."

She sent him a pointed look. "Uh uh, that's just you. _I'm_ a Princess remember? We don't screw up."

He stared down at her for a few moments and then snickered. "So she _can_ joke!"

That actually cracked a smile – albeit small – and unconsciously, she leaned a little closer to him. "Mark your calendar because this only comes around once."

* * *

Later that evening, Speedy landed the jet smoothly on top of the Titan's East Tower and sighed to himself, having already changed back into his usual outfit and mask. The scene that was presented to him upon walking into the living area was the usual. Mas and Menos were playing video games with each other, Aqualad was sitting at the table reading a newspaper and Bee was reading a magazine on the couch next to the twins.

He sighed and picked an apple from the bowl in front of his dark eyed, oriental looking friend. The boy looked up and smiled slightly, "Hey, how was your visit to Gotham?"

The red head winced mentally. He hated having to lie like this. "Uh, the usual; dark, dreary and looked after by the Bat."

From her place on the couch, Bee snorted, "Sounds charming."

Speedy forced a grin. "Yeah, just peachy." Looking at his watch for good measure, he saluted his teammates and said tiredly, "Anyways, I think I'll head off to bed. Flying that jet by yourself really wears you out."

Aqualad rolled his eyes and muttered, "Try the sub next time. I give you points for surfacing _alive_."

They all laughed at their friend and Speedy turned to leave. "Night guys."

A chorus of "Goodnight!" sounded and the boy let out a breath of relief, thankful that they didn't ask too many questions _and_ that they didn't suspect a thing. Having lived with them for so long, he knew when they suspected something and when they didn't. For now, he was in the clear. He may have to leave Raven a rain check for the next week or so to break the habit and not make his mates start to wonder.

In the shower, he stood, one hand on the wall in front, his head bowed as the water cascaded over his body, his shoulders, his back and down his calves. Jasper orbs closed as Roy sighed to himself, a breath of steam rising between his lips. A few minutes later he walked out of the bathroom and into his room only with a pair of boxers on. His few hours spent here and there with Raven were some of the best ever since heroism started to take a toll on him.

He fingered the strap on his wallet which was supposed to be a phone strap but considering he didn't have one, tied it onto his wallet instead. It was a couple of pale green strings with purple beads on them. The first time he and Raven had met up in a small town outside of Jump, they had sat down in one of those diners and the girl had found the strap left behind on her seat. She had thrown it across to him, the usual deadpan on her features and said bluntly, "Have a phone strap."

He'd laughed at her and joked about not getting her any welcome present but the ever stoic Raven had brushed his comment off without a thought. It had been difficult at first to try and sneak out to see her. Ironically had they actually had a relationship that was more than friendly, he might have felt a little less guilty. He didn't like lying. And he knew she didn't either.

Laying himself down in bed, and pulling the covers up to his waist, Roy placed his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. Raven was a friend. A good friend and an honest friend. By asking her out that time he almost felt as if he was making a liar out of her. But she had come out of her own free will so maybe he wasn't entirely to blame. They both had their faults and their secrets.

In one quick decision, Roy reached over to the side table and slapped his mask on, bringing his T-Com with him. Flicking through the names of all the Titans, he finally located Raven's name and dialled. About twenty seconds later, a bleary eyed, slightly annoyed and mussed up haired Raven blinked back at him.

"Wow, if I thought you'd miss me this soon, I would have given you my picture to look at."

The boy grinned at his ever snarky friend. "Sorry, Sunshine, just had to see your beautiful face before I whisk away into dreamland."

Dark eyes rolled and he could see she too was under the covers up to her chin, lying down on her stomach from what he could tell. Her communicator was probably on her pillow. "What's the problem?" she asked lazily.

Mulling it over in his mind for a moment or two, he finally answered. "We've been meeting each other for, what, a month straight now?"

Something flickered behind her eyes for a fraction of a second and then was gone before he could even decipher what it was. Her tone was stiff when she spoke. "Yes, and?"

"I think we ought to take a week off, just in case they start to suspect something. So I was thinking, how about we take this weekend off and then next Saturday I can take you to San Francisco or something." Roy saw what he thought was relief in Raven's face as well as a trace of gratefulness but he ignored it and waited for her answer.

"Actually, I was thinking the same thing when I got home. I had to buy them pizza for dinner before just so that they'd be distracted enough when I got back." She rubbed her eyes, irritation, yet warmth written all over her face. He laughed and then nodded.

"Right, it's settled then. I'll meet you at the train station next Saturday at noon." The girl nodded sleepily, her eyes growing heavy. Chuckling, he said softly in the most affectionate tone he could muster, "Goodnight Sunshine."

The tiniest smile appeared on her lips, so small he wouldn't have caught it any other time. "Goodnight carrot top." She turned off her communicator and he followed suit a second after the screen went black.

Being the gentleman he was, he'd always let the lady leave first. Sighing to himself and putting the communicator and his mask away, he rolled into bed and the last words that left his lips in a whisper were, "Goodnight Raven."

* * *

A/N: Hey everybody and thanks so much to all those reviewers last chapter! :D I love you guys more than you can imagine! Reviews are like brownies, you can never have too many! So yeah, some of you may be surprised at how quickly this happened, but I said it would only be around ten or so chapters long. But I hope you liked this anyway!! Next chapter we'll focus more on Raven but Speedy will be there too so don't you worry! Anyways, please leave a REVIEW!!

Peace out!  
Rex


	3. Control

Come Undone

Chapter 3: Control

It was a Wednesday morning when Raven woke to the sound of someone knocking on her door incessantly. At first, the sorceress had chosen to ignore it but when she heard the sound of Beast Boy complaining on the other side, the girl had finally had enough and pulled on her cape, trudging to the door and opening it an inch, revealing only very annoyed eyes.

"What?" she snapped.

"Come on Raven, it's pancake and waffles day! Get your butt down there and let's have some breakfast!"

If the huge grin wasn't enough to annoy her to tears, then the fact that he was trying to pry open her door was. With the last of her strength – and patience – she slammed the door shut in his face and stalked back into her room, cursing under her breath knowing that there was no way she was going to be able to sleep now. Pushing her hair out of her face, Raven walked over to her closet and pulled out her daily outfit and dragged herself into the shower.

The girl sighed and sat down in the tub, letting the water run down her body. It hadn't even been a week and already she was letting them get to her. In ten days she'd be allowed to see Speedy. Ten days too long in her opinion. She'd had no contact with him at all and while that was usual until a few days before they met, she often felt that it was the fact that she wasn't allowed to see him that made the urge stronger.

It wasn't anything special it was just that he was a friend who felt the same way she did. And that was difficult to find. Or...maybe not so difficult but it certainly was hard to get anyone to admit how they really felt. And he had. So that counted for a lot more than most. Also the fact that she actually admitted her feelings to him, almost a total stranger, was a radical decision on her part. And a good one too.

These thoughts often ran through her mind. Why him? It could have been anyone else. But it had been him. All over a harmless encounter. It didn't make sense then and it really didn't make any much more sense now. It was an honest case of impulsion. Raven frowned. Was she losing her control over her own emotions again? In all honesty, she didn't feel like visiting them any time soon but if this kept up, maybe there was something going on that she'd need to take care of. She really hoped not. Now wasn't the time. In fact, no time was the time.

Things would be so much simpler if her emotions chose not to have a mind of their own and if they'd just listen to her. A sudden thought came to her then; she could always cage them like how she did to The Rage. Though that may just cause a lot more mayhem as well as possible mutiny. And that wasn't particularly thrilling at the moment.

Scrubbing herself clean, her thoughts kept wondering to a certain masked red head. Hating to admit the fact that she could really use his company sometime soon, the violet haired teen stood and dried herself, stepped into her clean clothes and made her way up to the kitchen.

Four pairs of eyes turned to her and immediately, she regretted leaving the comfort of her bedroom, especially when Starfire affronted her with a plate full of waffles smothered in three different types of syrup and mustard.

"Friend Raven! It is indeed a pleasure for you to join us this marvellous morning to consume the delicious cakes in a pan and waffles," she gushed happily, forcing Raven into a chair and dumping the plate unceremoniously in front of her.

Suddenly, she wasn't so hungry. "Uh..."

Thankfully, Robin cut in. "Er, Starfire? I don't think Raven's very hungry. I think she'd just prefer her usual tea..." He smiled encouragingly at the green eyed princess and then sent Raven a wink.

The plate was quickly taken away and an ecstatic Starfire exclaimed, "But of course! Friend Raven never breaks the fast! I shall brew her favourite tea!"

"_Perfect, it'll be burnt tea if that's at all possible,"_ Raven grumbled to herself as she watched the too-happy princess race off. Beast Boy and Cyborg were arguing on the couch over tofu waffles and pancakes as usual while playing Death Race at the same time. It looked like boys could multitask when one of the tasks was eating, mused the sorceress.

Bored and nonchalant, Raven sighed and pulled one of the free newspapers over to her, browsing through the articles for anything that could be useful to Robin or the rest of the team. _"Hmm, let's see...thief breaks out of jail, pathetic, Di-Lithium stolen from lab, I should tell Robin about that one later, death, destruction, obituaries...nothing interesting."_

Without looking up from his own paper, Robin asked, "Anything?"

She shrugged. "Di-Lithium stolen from Mort's Labs last night. Other than that, there's nothing worth doing."

He nodded lazily. "Mm, they caught that guy who escaped from jail anyway. Cops called this morning just to let us know."

The girl snorted and the masked boy looked up at her questioningly. Rolling her eyes, Raven told him in a blasé tone, "They just did our job, looks like it'll be a slow day."

He grinned and said hopefully, "That's what I'm betting on because I need to go out today. Wanna come with?"

She searched him curiously. "Where to?"

"Steel City."

Raven could have died then and there. Not only was he being completely serious, but he showed no signs of testing and therefore showed he didn't know anything. But here was the chance she was looking for. Even if they'd pretend they didn't know each other too well, even if they weren't going to speak at all, at least he was there. "When are we leaving?"

He laughed and looked at his watch. "Now if you're done."

Looking over to Starfire who was still trying to make her tea, Raven nodded quickly. "Excellent."

* * *

Miles away, Speedy downed an Espresso and slammed his hand on the table, making a disgusted face. Aqualad looked at him and easily downed his third one. The red head glared at him and ordered demandingly, "One more!"

Dark eyes rolled as the boy hopped over the counter and made another five cups. "Speed, if you don't like it, why bother drinking it?"

Masked eyes narrowed. "Because I'm the human one here and I can't drink that crap and you're a freaking fish but you can! It's insane!"

The dark haired boy shrugged and told his friend blithely, "In Atlantis we had this energy booster made out of a certain type of sea sponge. It's ten times stronger than any coffee up here so I guess I'm just used to it."

Speedy's eye twitched and he spluttered. "B-but you're still a fish!"

Aqualad raised a dark brow. "I prefer Atlantian if you don't mind." He laid down the tray of in front of his friend who quirked his own brow at the number of cups. The darker boy sighed. "You won't stop until you've managed to drink more than me. I can tell you that three for me is enough. You win."

Speedy scowled and said intrusively, "You just want me to get sick and throw it all up!"

"Right, of course..." he deadpanned, un-amused at the accusation. "Just drink it, Speed, before Mas and Menos take it."

He was halfway through the third cup – his mouth feeling bitter and numb by this time – when Bee walked in, announcing in that spritely manner of hers, "Yo fellas, Robin's coming today to update our software. Apparently he invented something the other day to install into our shields." Everyone but Speedy looked up when she spoke but what came out of her mouth next caused _him_ to spray all his coffee onto the table. "Oh yeah, n' I heard he's bringing Raven with him too."

Speedy blinked at the mess. _"Well...that went pretty far."_

Everyone turned to him then, stunned and quite disgusted. "Dude...I think you've had enough of that..."

Putting the cup down and laughing nervously, he scratched the back of his head and nodded. "Yeah I think so too...I think I'll go and...clean up."

Aqualad had driven the coffee all over the counter and the floor into the sink with a wave of his hand but Speedy wiped the spots anyway for good measure, all the while thinking of Raven who was probably on her way here already.

"_Ok, just act normal, and pretend you don't know her,"_ he paused at that thought. _"Ok maybe not as if you don't _know_ her...that may seem cold. Ok, ok act friendly but not overly friendly...they'll just think you're being a freak."_

When he was done cleaning, he brushed past the twins who were arguing in Spanish over a burrito – it had something to do with pickles and onions – and opened the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water and taking huge gulps to try and ease his worry. He stopped suddenly and frowned. _"Wait a second, if Raven agreed to come here, that means she actually wanted to right? So...she knows the risks. All I need to do is keep my cool in front of everyone and we'll be fine."_

"Uh, Speedy sweetie, you done standing there yet?"

Jasper eyes blinked, finally noticing the dark eyed girl standing in front of him giving him a strange look as if to say, 'are you alright?'

"Y-yeah, I'm done," he mumbled, moving aside and allowing her to grab her own bottle of water.

When she stood up again, the girl cocked a hip and looked at him curiously. "Are you sure you're alright hun? I mean you've been acting a little weird today. First with the coffee all over the place and now you're zoning out...you been sleeping okay?" She sounded genuinely worried and oddly enough it was comforting. He nodded in assurance and gave her a quick smile.

"Yeah, just...the coffee acting up I think."

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Men and their coffee, I'll never understand it." When she had walked away, the archer visibly looked relieved and finished off his bottle before throwing it into the bin and running quickly to his room and locked himself in the bathroom.

He ripped off his mask and splashed cold water on his face, trying to calm the heavy beating of his heart. Normally, he wouldn't be affected by something like this. Of course he was excited about seeing Raven, he'd actually missed her these past few days but he was consumed with worry about accidentally letting something slip or acting too friendly around her that could jeopardise the both of them.

"Shit man, get a grip on yourself," he muttered, drying his face and putting his mask back on.

At exactly twelve thirty that afternoon, the team went up onto the roof, just as the jet was beginning to land. The glass roof was pulled back and Robin grinned at them all, jumping down and landing smoothly on his feet. Raven flew down next to him a few seconds later, her hood casting a shadow over her eyes.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Robin asked, shaking hands with all of them. "Nice to see you again."

Bee, ever the diplomat, smiled widely and gave him a huge hug. "Good to see you too Robin, how's the team?"

"They're fine, I brought Raven with me cos she looked like she could take a break from BB if you know what I mean."

Speedy looked at her from behind his mask and thanked the heavens that she couldn't see him looking at her. She looked the usual, calm, stoic and bored. He almost smiled at the way she could contain herself but held back instead. They all turned to go indoors then and Raven began to walk over to him. He froze and pretended to look away even though his eyes were on her the entire time. By the time she was right next to him, violet eyes turned and gazed into his for no longer than a tenth of a second – although it might have been forever – before she walked passed and walked through the roof door and downstairs. Now that he was alone, he could smile all he wanted.

Down in the living room, Robin, Aqualad, Bee and the twins were working on the computer and installing the new shield upgrade. Robin had told them it would take a while because he had to disable the former shield and bypass a bunch of firewalls and the download itself would take a few hours. Raven sat on the couch, one leg crossed over the other and both her arms resting on the back of the couch, watching them all with little interest. This of course was Speedy's cue to sit down next to her.

Her eyes flickered to the side and then back to the people in front of her. "Took you long enough," she said in a low tone.

He smirked. "Thought I'd keep you in suspense."

"Consider me, in suspense."

"I expect nothing less."

Without thinking, he brought a hand over and pushed her hood back, watching it fall to her shoulders. A small, dangerous smile grew on her lips and she eyed him through the corner of her eye. "You know, you're lucky no one was looking."

He shrugged. "You were keeping an eye out."

She scoffed and looked at him disbelievingly. "And if I hadn't been?"

He grinned in that happy-go-lucky way that made Raven want to strangle him. "_Then_ we would've been screwed."

Disbelief mixed with frustration and amusement was evident in her wide eyes and Speedy could have sworn a smile wanted to force its way onto her lips by the way they kept twitching. Unable to contain himself, he snickered at her reaction and shook his head. "Relax, Sunshine, I'm just playing with you."

The girl was about to whack him on the back of his head when she suddenly heard her name and turned to the front abruptly. She stood quickly, shooting the red head a glare before she left and walked over to Robin who was scratching his head and looking at a series of wires in the wall at the security system. "Hey, my hands aren't small enough to reach the purple wire right at the back there. Do you think you could undo it and attach it to this module here?"

The girl looked at the entire series of wires and then nodded. Her own hand wouldn't be able to fit but if she used her powers, it would be a piece of cake. "Give me a second."

Taking in a deep breath, the girl stretched her hand out, her eyes glowing white and another hand, thin, black and made of dark energy, started to grow out of her outstretched hand and it entered the machine with ease and pulled the wire out of the tangled mess. "Done."

The boy smiled, "Thanks Rae."

The others who were watching closely, applauded and the only other female gave a low whistle. "Wow, I'm impressed. You got some pretty cool powers there Raven."

Surprised by their enthusiasm, the girl took a step back and nodded. "You're welcome."

Sitting back down at the couch, the boy shot her a look. "Not used to praise I'm guessing?"

She looked at him ruefully. "Not exactly."

"Still," he continued, his expression unreadable even by her, "that was pretty cool."

"You haven't seen anything yet," she chided, something close to happiness and pride bubbling in her chest.

Red brows rose high in amusement. "Really now?"

"Stick around and maybe you'll find out."

He smiled. "Looking forward to it."

Two hours, a few hot dogs and one tired Robin later, the dark haired youth stood, and smiled satisfied. "Alright, it's done. If you guys have any problems, just give us a call."

Speedy looked over at Raven who sat across from him at the dining table, a cup of tea in her hands. "Well, guess I'll catch you next weekend then," he said quietly.

The girl sipped her tea and eyed him over the rim of her cup. Swallowing and placing the cup down gently, she nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. "I'm looking forward to it."

"I'm sure you are."

"You seem so sure of yourself. Do you really think I'm _that_ excited to come see you?" she asked innocently and he knew then that she was playing him right back. He grinned and folded his hands under his chin, leaning closer when no one was looking and whispering, in a tone that would have made her pass out were she any other girl,

"You ignored all the risks and came here to visit _me_ didn't you?"

For a few moments, she just looked at him and then brought the cup to her lips, hiding the smile that was threatening to spill but he could see it in her eyes and smiled back. "You're good, carrot top, but you're not that good."

A challenge. "We'll see about that."

* * *

The flight home was peaceful to say the least and Raven sat back and relaxed as her friend drove them on the two hour flight home. Actually it didn't take that long but he felt like cruising apparently. His companion had no objections and rather encouraged him to take his time.

"I saw you getting to know Speedy better," he said suddenly, with a smile.

The girl nodded calmly. "He's tolerable."

Robin laughed. "Yeah he's pretty cool, that's one good team."

She nodded and the words that came out of her mouth nearly stopped Robin in mid flight. "We should have more of those parties."

Masked eyes looked at her widely. "I...thought you _hated_ those parties."

She snorted in laughter. "I do, but...company is nice once in a while."

He didn't react and simply sat back looking thoughtful. "Hm, I guess it really is. What do you say to us inviting them over May first?"

She shot him a glance. "You and your first-day-of-the-month fetish."

He smirked. "First of May it is."

* * *

A/N: And here's another chapter of Come Undone! Wow...hard to believe I'm actually writing this as fast as I am...Thanks so much for all your reviews by the way! Love you guys lots! Your reviews are awesome! And I'm glad you like this story! I was hoping it'd be a bigger hit but hey, beggars can't be choosers! Just so ya'll know I'm having a Naruto phase at the moment and my favoured pairing? None other than Sasuke X Hinata...Trust me to pick the most unlikely couple huh? I guess I'm not the biggest fan of canon hahaha! But anyways yeah, I may just have a few one shots or short stories coming out with that pairing if any of you are interested!! :D And don't forget to leave a REVIEW!!

Peace out!  
Rex


	4. Cold Chicken

Come Undone

Chapter 4: Cold Chicken

"Somebody please fan the barbeque! The flames are making my eyes water!"

"I suppose I should not have used my powers for the flames for this nutritious meal?"

"Uh, it's ok, Starfire, everyone makes mistakes."

"At this rate the food's gonna be as green as BB!"

"...I am _so_ glad I'm a vegetarian. At least Raven's salad will keep me going."

"Does it have tofu in it?"

"Who the hell puts tofu in a salad?"

"Guys! I can't – breathe!"

"Senor Robin! Fuego! Fuego!"

"Aqualad! Water!"

"...You guys just totally messed up dinner."

"Fear not! I know the stash of secrets where we keep the rest of the frozen meat!"

"Uh maybe I should go with you Starfire. Just...in case?"

Amber eyes glistened with humour from behind a mask almost identical to Robin's. The red head wore a pair of black jeans and a deep red short sleeved shirt for Barbeque Night. Only the Titans East had been invited because no one wanted too big of a crowd. The evening they were told that they were invited to Jump had been a bit of a surprise, especially since Robin told them that it was actually a certain sorceress' idea in the first place. Needless to say, Roy was quite surprised. Not to mention pleased with the girl's tactic.

He was currently fanning the new fire that they'd built after Aqualad destroyed Starfire's green flames that seemed to have a mind of their own when it came to the food. Raven had yet to make her appearance and this disappointed him somewhat. It'd be a waste if he were to come all the way over to Jump and find that she'd decided to lock herself in her room. Robin had vanished with the alien princess, probably to prevent her from bringing up the entire cellar and Beast Boy and the twins had disappeared downstairs to play video games again.

Over the smoke, Roy could see Bee and Cyborg talking in hushed tones, suggestive glances on their faces and little smiles that would make anyone sick. Thank goodness Raven wasn't here to see that or she'd probably throw up all over the food. The boy scrunched up his face in disgust and continued to fan the flames. From the drinks table a few feet away, Aqualad held a cup of ginger ale in one hand, the other leaning against the table, his dark eyes looking with sly mirth at his friend.

"Disgusting isn't it?"

The red head snorted. "You're telling me."

The dark eyed boy played it cool and smirked. "Yeah, though I guess it ain't so corny when you're actually _in_ their place right?"

"Whatever, it still reminds me of these two dogs my grandmother had. Couldn't keep their paws off each other."

The Atlantian looked at his friend in disbelief. "You're comparing romance to a bunch of dogs in heat? Wow...you really are an oblivious idiot."

The archer threw him a look. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Walking over and handing him a cup of ginger ale, Aqualad sipped on his and said lightly, "It means that you're emotionally retarded."

"What?"

"Seriously man, you have no sense of understanding when it comes to these sort of things."

A red brow rose. "And _you_ do?"

The cocky grin that followed would have made anyone want to beat the water boy to a pulp. "I have more than you."

Roy curled a lip in distaste at being both put down _and_ beaten. He guessed that his friend was slightly right when it came to him being emotionally retarded. Romance was overrated, not to mention it really screwed people over. He wondered vaguely if Raven had ever been in a situation like that before. In his mind he felt that was impossible as the enigmatic girl hardly seemed the type to date. Then again, an emotionally stunted person like him could just be ignorant to the many surprises she had to offer.

And surprise, surprise, the very object of his thoughts decided to make her appearance. Looking bored and pissed off as ever, Raven walked towards the drinks table and picked up a bottle of root beer before setting her eyes on the two boys by the fire and trudging over to them, the impatient and annoyed look in her eyes making Roy want to laugh.

Aqualad spoke first, with a knowing smile. "Still hate parties, Raven?"

"Only when I need to make most of the food," she deadpanned, motioning to another table, full of bowls and plates of food. Obviously the girl had known some disaster would occur and leave them all hungry and picky. He had to give it to her; she was pretty damn smart. Or maybe she just knew her friends too well.

"You made _all_ of that?" the red head asked, placing a piece of meat that hadn't been burnt onto the grill.

The sour look on her face made both boys snicker. "Every single damn bit." She vaguely noticed Cyborg and Bumble Bee walking down through the corner of her eye.

"Always thinking ahead I see," the dark haired boy said, sending her a wink. "Well, I'll go call the rest of them up then. It'd be a waste for all that good stuff to go uneaten." He was about to leave, when he paused and turned back to her, "There is vegetarian stuff there right?"

"Of course. Just no tofu."

He chuckled. "That's fine with me." Before leaving, his dark eyed gaze caught Roy's for no more than a fraction of a second before he disappeared downstairs.

It was too quick for Roy to think it meant anything. But he had a sinking feeling in his gut all the same.

"Root beer is actually pretty disgusting."

At the sound of her voice, he turned and looked to her, grinning at the grimace. "It's an acquired taste."

Raven rolled her eyes and sighed, eyeing the food that was cooking. It actually smelled pretty good considering that the previous burning smell was still in the air. "I take it you're playing chef tonight?"

He laughed and turned a piece of meat over. "I'm _always_ the chef."

A pair of violet brows rose and the sorceress eyed him with mild interest. "You cook?"

He shrugged. "Everyone else is too lazy or too inexperienced when it comes to stoves. The only thing they can make is microwave pop corn. Of course that was after they burnt the previous three microwaves."

Breathing a short laugh, the girl took another drink from her bottle and shook her head. "Sounds like fun."

He gave her a genuine smile, always finding it easier to do that around her. "The drama never ends."

"Mm," was her only reply as she sipped on some more root beer. Closing her eyes, the dark eyed girl breathed deeply and leaned against the food table, tilting her head upwards towards the sky.

Deep topaz eyes gazed at her intently, looking for any sign as to why she was in a bitter mood this evening. Sure having to cook everything must have been annoying but there was something else bothering her from what he could tell. He turned over the chicken and beef slices and placed the cooked ones onto a spare dish.

"What's on you mind, Sunshine?" he asked casually, brushing some marinade over new pieces of meat.

Her eyes flickered open and then shut promptly again. "Nothing you can handle, carrot top."

"Try me."

"Trust me; you don't want to know."

"See when you say that, it just makes me more intrigued."

"How intriguing."

"I know, I'm quite amazing."

"Modest too."

"Of course."

Shooting him a look that was a mixture of annoyance and mirth, the girl sighed and walked closer, her fingers picking the hem of her brown, long sleeved top. "I've done something I've never done before and it's been annoying me ever since."

His mind began running through all the possibilities of bad things that Raven could possibly do. Naturally he began thinking dirty thoughts and his stomach resultantly dropped three feet underground. Surely not _Raven, _not _his _Raven. Wait….his Raven? Since when did she become his? Ignoring the words that went through his mind, Roy looked at her pointedly and said seriously,

"Tell me, it can't be that bad."

"By my standards it is. You'll just laugh though…" she added wryly.

"I swear, I'll try to restrain myself." He added a three-fingered scouts salute just for kicks as well as the un-amused raised brow look that she gave him. It never failed to amuse him at how he could rile her up like that.

After a few moments of staring at him blankly, she finally admitted in a muttered tone, "Beast Boy put sugar in my tea the other day in hopes that I'd get a sugar high." He motioned for her to continue. "I was angry obviously but it's nothing I'm not used to. But…" she trailed off and looked at the ground guiltily. "When he went out with Cyborg that night, I pretty much drowned his room with sugar water…"

The boy blinked at her, unable to comprehend the fact that Raven had actually played a prank right back at the prank master – at least that's what he called himself. He watched her face for any traces of joking but found none. And slowly, a goofy smile made its way onto his lips. "Seriously?"

Violet eyed struck his own. "Seriously."

"And…that's it?"

The girl glared at him then. "I'll have you know that I have never ever sought out revenge in such a demeaning manner. This…brings me to his level and trust me; it's a little hard to breathe down here."

He laughed at her then, which only seemed to intensify her anger. "Raven, relax, it was just a little prank, nothing you need to feel so guilty about. Besides, that kid has pranked you more times than I can count."

"You only can't count because you don't live here," she muttered which only made him laugh harder and drape an arm around her stiff shoulders.

"Cheers to that but really, don't feel so bad about it, it's only Beast Boy."

"And who said I felt _guilty?_" she demanded, turning and looking up at him, neither noticing just how close their faces were from each other. That cocky grin just couldn't spill of that face of his.

His reply was smooth and cutting. "Well judging by the look on your face and the regret in your voice, I'd say you felt guilty…and I really don't understand why."

Narrowing her eyes, she turned away from him and folded her arms, his one arm still dangling from her shoulders. "I do _not _feel guilty. People like me don't feel guilty."

Ah there it was, he realised and smiled to himself. "People like you?"

"Yes, people like me. Half demons don't feel guilt, they're supposed to like hurting people. Heroes feel guilt when they hurt people but hey, two opposites just cancel each other out don't they?" she said bitterly, looking over the ledge at the sea below.

So this was why she was so upset. They were back to square one again. Not that he minded of course. A little cheering up was all she needed. "Well then take it from me; I know guilt when I see it so I guess it's safe to say you're more hero than demon."

Looking at him with a small, enquiring frown, Raven opened her mouth to speak when they heard footsteps coming up towards the roof and Roy slid his arm off her and walked back to the cooker, leaving Raven by the food, still slightly stunned at his answer yet oddly lifted. She was almost disappointed when Robin and Starfire came up, both carrying containers of frozen meat, Beast Boy and the twins laughing to each other as they came up with Cyborg and his 'girlfriend' in tow. The Atlantian came up behind them, rolling his eyes and looking with a mixture of annoyance and disgust at the couple in front. He caught Raven's eye and winked, his gaze inconspicuously travelling between her and Roy. Raven didn't notice that but sent him a nod.

* * *

For most of the evening, the girl spent her time sitting by herself with occasional glances from Roy that didn't go unnoticed and short chats from Robin and Aqualad. Standing up from the table and walking over to the ledge, she sat down, thinking how only a couple months ago, she and Roy had first began talking to each other right at this spot. A small smile almost made its way onto her lips as she reminisced.

A pair of footsteps behind her told her that the water boy had just arrived and he took a seat next to her, one foot dangling over the edge and the other bent up in front of him. He rested one hand on it, the other rested on the floor behind him.

"You're not the most sociable of people are you?" he asked casually, looking at the water.

She didn't even look at him when she answered. "What gave it away?" He actually laughed.

They were both silent for a few moments when he spoke again. "Y'know, Speedy seems a sociable person but a lot of the time he likes being by himself."

Raven froze inwardly but didn't allow any of the tumultuous feelings flying about her mind show. This wasn't good; it appeared that he knew something was going on and Raven didn't exactly know at this time how to change the topic. So she settled for something a little different.

"Yes, I've just noticed. He did spend most of his time cooking that anything else. I suppose it's like you and how you used to spend your time alone underwater." The casualness and lightness of her tone betrayed nothing important. The slightest slip of her tongue could jeopardise them both and it was a lucky thing that she was gifted with strategy.

Shrugging, the boy answered, "Nah, I just felt uncomfortable around people. It's the eyes you see, all black? Kinda freaks people out."

Despite her former feelings of doubt and fear, it all ebbed away and she was left with sympathy and understanding. "The grey skin does that too. Not so much the purple hair considering all the colours people have these days but the skin can get a little awkward."

He smiled and nodded. "It's a good thing we're all a bunch of freaks here. Everyone's got their weirder-than-normal quirks. And I guess even if you don't see it, Speedy's is just as stigmatic."

Now this was interesting. "What do you mean?"

Looking at her with strong dark eyes, he said evenly, "He's human."

* * *

Later that night, after eating, everyone went down into the living room except for two heroes who sat on the roof, very much the same as when they first met. This time though, Raven was the one holding a bottle of ginger ale. Next to her, the redhead had lay down and was nostalgically looking up at the sky.

In a quiet, almost hesitant voice, the sorceress said, "H-Hey…"

He didn't turn to her. "Hm?"

Amethyst eyes gazed down at him for a long time before she said gently,

"I like you…even if you are human."

* * *

A/N: Alright, this ended on a…bittersweet note? Well yeah, I needed to have a little bit of drama right? So! How'd you like it? Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed so far! Really makes me happy to read them all and I'm glad you're all liking this so much! Keep reading and I'll get back to you next chapter! Oh yeah! Please review!!

Peace out!  
Rex


	5. ChasteOr Anything But

Come Undone

Chapter 5: Chaste…Or Anything But

The red head watched as the dark eyed girl dozed on his bed in the apartment he used to own before becoming a Titan. It was still his apartment since his uncle gave it to him before he died. The red head hadn't been here in a while and when Raven had told him she wanted to see it, he had tried his best to talk her out of it, and with good reason too.

It was a mess.

And what does the sorceress do? She cleans it. That's right, she cleans it and arranges his few items of furniture and – more embarrassingly so – the pile of clothes that's next to the washing machine. It wasn't a large apartment but the speed at which she had cleaned and moved things surprised even him. Whoever ended up dating her or marrying her would be one lucky guy. Though Roy hardly expected her to be the sort to sit back as a housewife while the husband went traipsing around the city fighting crime.

She loved fighting crime too much to give that up. At least that was the impression he received.

He had to smile as she turned in her sleep and made a soft, barely noticeable sound, mumbling something under her breath. Her violet locks fell around her cheeks and curled at her lips, making him want to brush them away.

She was pretty when she slept. Anything but beautiful but there was something unique about her face. Maybe it was the way her eyes seemed to light up when she smiled, or how her hair would splay about her face into a tousled mess and make her annoyed. Or maybe it was the way she tapped her chin when musing about something or another.

Raven was a lovely girl and a good friend. And she saw him for who he was. And he was…what was he? A loser? A jerk? A cocky, arrogant bastard who couldn't play hero enough to be noticed? She saw beyond that.

What were they?

They weren't dating…but then again what would you call stolen meetings and secret rendezvous'? Well…okay it wasn't exactly dating. And he hoped it wouldn't ever be dating because then she'd still be miles away from him and nothing would have changed. But a part of him really wanted it to turn into something more. Huffing frustration, the masked archer turned away from her sleeping form and shook his head, closing his jasper eyes and breathing in deeply.

_Must not think like that…It's Raven for crying out loud. She'd kill you!_

Though if she did kill him…at least he'd die a happy man having known her. So, why not make it more worthwhile?

_Maybe because SHE WOULD KILL YOU??_

_Well yes…but at least you did something fun._

_Yeah, and then died! Moron!_

…_But I want to._

He pouted mentally at the scolding voice in his head, which for some reason or another reminded him of Aqualad. What the hell was that fish doing in his head?

He turned and looked back again at the sleeping Raven from where he sat at his desk, not too far away. She must have been tired out from those few hours of cleaning. Roy stood and walked over to the bed, kneeling down by the side to face her. His fingers brushed away a few strands of purple hair and he delighted in the way she sighed and moved to his touch.

He then froze; realising with horror what was happening.

He was falling for her. Falling for her in a way that he knew he shouldn't. Sure he wouldn't mind dating her but usually for him the falling came _after_ the dating and the dinners and all the other love related 'd' words.

"Shit," he muttered, running a hand through his own red hair. He paused then and frowned.

It didn't have to be bad. All he had to do was make sure he didn't show it and they could carry on as normal. Right? That's what usually happened when one friend fell for another and didn't want to ruin the friendship and all that. It was the classic story.

Yes. Of course. It didn't mean he had to stop seeing her. He just had to play it cool and not act like a complete retard in front of her. But he'd definitely have to try hard because Raven could read anybody like a book. One small mistake and he'd be sent to hell. Literally.

Taking a calming breath, he looked back at the sleeping girl and took her hand, smoothing his fingers over her dry fingers. They felt papery from the washing liquid she'd used earlier but they were still Raven's hands. It was her hands he felt, her skin he could smell, her hair he breathed in, her eyes he looked into, her lips he listened to.

And those lips were looking damn tempting right now.

And so he did what any other guy would have done in that situation.

Gently, and as quietly as he could manage, he bent down and pressed his lips against hers. Raven's lips. Her mouth. Wow.

There was no jolt. And there was certainly no electricity or fire or fireworks exploding above his head but still…Wow.

And it was wow even more when she moved her lips back against him. He froze and pulled back, looking down at her. Her eyes were still closed and her breathing still steady and slow. Sighing in relief, Roy sat back and shook his head. Thank the Gods she was still asleep. It would be a nightmare if he got caught.

"Roy…"

His ears were deceiving him. They must be for Raven had never said his name before. Amber eyes shot to the sleeping girl and sure enough; there was a small frown on her forehead as she stirred in her sleep. His heart stopped when she said it again.

"Roy…"

It sounded like music from her lips. Her voice was saying his name. He felt a little disappointed that she didn't even know she was saying it but the mere fact that she was saying it somehow made him feel slightly better.

"Raven?" he tried, whispering close to her face.

"Mm?"

Damn. She was still sleeping. With an awkward grin, he leaned in closer.

"Wake up Sunshine, I think it's time you went home."

He laughed when she nodded in her sleep, her fingers curling around the pillow under her head. He looked at her endearingly and stroked the side of her face, his masked orbs continually moving towards the lips he had just kissed. He wondered vaguely what she would taste like but batted that thought away when she moved again, bringing her knees up to her chest and huddling tightly. He couldn't help the affection that ran through him. Not to mention the longing.

Looking at the setting sun, from behind the blinds, he turned to her again. "Come on, Raven, wake up and I'll serve you breakfast in bed."

A thin brow rose in response but she still didn't open her eyes. "Breakfast for dinner?"

"You don't like breakfast for dinner?" he asked, feigning scandalised.

"Only if there's no tofu in it."

He frowned and made a face. "Who serves tofu for breakfast?"

"Beast Boy."

"Ah."

She rolled over then, facing away from him this time, pulling the blanket up to her chin. "Go away, I'm sleepy," she mumbled in annoyance, causing his lips to twitch in humour.

"I would, but this is _my_ apartment."

He was rewarded with a snort. "And _who_ cleaned it?"

"Touché."

He heard her sigh then and watched as she rolled over again, her eyes open this time and the beginnings of a funny smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She rarely smiled and he was glad to be one of the lucky ones to have seen it. Chuckling, he said again,

"Morning, Sunshine."

--

Amethyst orbs glistened distinctly before returning to normal. _Morning, Sunshine_. She loved it when he said that. Initially, Raven was not at all fond of the nickname he used with her; Sunshine. But after a while, it seemed to grow on her. She didn't quite know when that happened but she did know when she realised it. It was a few minutes ago, when he had first woken her up. Wake up, Sunshine.

Unconsciously, she brought a hand up to her lips and tapped her fingers against her bottom lip, vaguely noticing the way he tensed. With a frown, she sat up and looked at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked in confusion at his moment of distress. But the look was gone and replaced by one of his awkward grins.

He shook his head and answered, "Nothing; just wondering if you were going to kill me for waking you up."

Dark eyes rolled. "As much as I'd loved to have slept more, I think you were right about me heading back soon."

His lip curled in distaste as he sighed bitterly. "The one time I get a girl willingly into my bed and we don't even get to do anything." He looked up into her slightly stunned face. "You weren't even naked!"

If that wasn't enough to make her blush, she didn't know what was. Luckily all those years of learning how to keep her emotions in check had prevented the blood from rushing to anywhere noticeable. Now that would have been embarrassing.

Wryly, she scoffed and turned away, throwing a pillow at him. "Sorry to disappoint, maybe another time."

He caught it with ease and then playfully jumped onto the bed, draping an arm around her shoulders and planting a kiss onto her cheek. Raven was too surprised to say anything. "I'll hold you to that me darlin'," he said in a roughish Irish accent.

Now _that_ made the heat rise to her face and she had to lower he head to hide behind her hair, waiting for it to die down. It was his arms, she decided, that made her want to melt right there. His arm around her, her head slightly under his chin. If she leaned back even a little, she'd fall into his chest and allow his arms to wrap around her. Maybe she should have because she highly doubted there'd be any more opportunities like this.

It was also his Irish accent. There was definitely Irish in his blood, if the red hair wasn't any indication. He could have been Scottish, she realised, knowing full well that she was rambling in her own mind, but the fact that he used an Irish accent made that a wrong guess.

And then there was the way he spoke into her ears as if it was the most natural thing in the world. In most cases, speaking this close and into someone's ears was such an intimate thing. Certainly she felt that way but he didn't seem to think this invasion of privacy was anything abnormal. Her boundaries had been continually crossed ever since she had started being friends with him. But she wasn't complaining. And _that_ worried her.

She was staring at her lap when she suddenly realised that he'd been talking to her. Looking up quickly, she blinked at his questioning look.

"Uh…what?"

Masked orbs stared at her for a long while before an amused smile tugged at his lips. "Wow, you really are tired aren't you?"

Not knowing what else to say, the girl nodded quickly and cleared her throat, fiddling with her fingers in her lap. He shook his head good-naturedly and repeated his question.

"I just wanted to know what you wanted for dinner. After that we can use my bike and I'll get you to Jump in no time."

She was grateful that his apartment wasn't in Steel City or it would have taken her hours to get home. He had lived in Paytec, one of Jump's neighbouring cities. At this rate, she would be home before ten.

"Pancakes," she said after some time. "And tea if you have any."

When he grinned, and stood up, resultantly removing his arm from around her, she suddenly felt cold. Damn her for wanting his warmth back. "Pancakes and tea, coming right up!" He left the room and with a flustered sigh, Raven fell back onto her bed, her heart racing and her cheeks finally showing off their redness for all the world to see.

_Whoa._

This was _not_ good. She could feel her emotions, all of them, flying around in her mind, acting less and less like the obedient beings they were supposed to be. If she went for a visit to Nevermore, there was no doubt, she'd find it an almost unrecognisable place. Damn it. They weren't supposed to be doing this now. Especially not now. Hell, during a fight, they could play all they wanted but not _now_ when she was spending her time with a boy no less.

She didn't care if everything changed around her, the one thing she wanted to stay the same was him. Roy. And she knew that if her emotions tried to do something, she could lose him. And that would hurt. That would hurt more than anything she could think of. He was a constant ever since she'd met him. He was a constant and a constant that needed to stay constant.

_Please stop trying to interfere_. She thought to herself, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. They seemed to listen for a while because she suddenly felt a little more calm. But the empath knew all too well that it wouldn't last for long. She could smell him frying the pancakes now, and that brought a touch of warmth to her.

_Oh, Roy…_

Standing up, the dark eyed girl walked out into the kitchen and sat at the counter, watching as he flipped a pancake into the air and let it land smoothly on the plate he was holding out.

--

Later that night, Raven sat at the counter back at the Tower, cradling a mug of hot tea in her hands. Her lip was bitten until it was swollen and her eyes held worry and nervousness. All the girl had been able to think of was a certain red head. Having just come back from Nevermore, the conversation she had had with some of the more prominent figures was still running through her mind. The message was simple;

_You're in too deep with him for this to go back anymore._

Maybe she'd always known that this would happen. That she would ruin it all. His kissing her earlier didn't really do anything to help either. Oh yes she knew he kissed her. She felt it. It took all her effort earlier not to allow the windows to burst open or the lamp next to the bed to burst, or the door to fly off its hinges. She felt it and knew that he had actually kissed her.

But he was a guy. And guys often did those things without any meaning behind it. He was a guy, and she was a girl and the situation just called him to kiss her. Okay, so she had been dreaming about him and in her dream he had kissed her and when she'd called out to him and opened her eyes a tiny peek, she realised in her half-awake state that he was way too close to her face for nothing to_ not_ have happened.

Even if she hadn't been awake when it happened, she still felt it. She could feel _him_ on her lips. His scent was all over her. And by Gods it was such a scent! It made her want to curl her toes and shiver in delight. He smelled _that_ good.

But the trembling she experienced now was wholly due to different reasons. She'd always been afraid of losing herself and now it seemed apparent that she was nearly far gone.

"Hey, you."

She looked up and met another pair of masked orbs, sighing in relief as Robin walked to the fridge wearing a blue pair of striped pyjama pants, the draw-string handing loosely around his legs, his upper body completely bare. By now she was used to seeing him half-naked but it still amused her at how he seemed to still carry himself around as if nothing was different. The boy used to blink in confusion the first few times she'd caught him like this and had turned away, mortified.

It was endearing to know that the brains of this place was so clueless sometimes.

She allowed some warmth into her voice when she answered. "Hey yourself. What are you doing up?"

He pulled out an apple and wiggled his brows, leaning across the counter opposite her with a knife in his hands as he peeled off the red skin. "Hungry," he said simply, without looking at her. They sat in silence for a moment before the boy spoke up again, this time attentive to her, his eyes showing affection and care. "What's on your mind, Rae?"

Maybe it was the tone he used – one that was full of care and attention only for her – or it could have been the message behind the question that said 'I know you're upset so penny for your thoughts' or it could have been that encouraging and reassuring smile that played on his lips but all Raven knew was that she couldn't hold it in anymore. It was like a wave of emotions, a typhoon or a hurricane or some other natural disaster on a mega explosive scale was bombarding every single part of her and her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't breathe and couldn't speak and simply stared at him with wide, helpless eyes. Her vision was beginning to get hazy and she knew what that meant; tears.

It had been a while since she'd had a long, good cry and with everything that's been happening recently, maybe it was about time she did. But her pride refused to let her cry just yet. It was an odd feeling, knowing that that salty liquid was about to rise but you're trying your hardest not to let them run. Maybe it would build up and then burst like a fountain and wipe her face clean off her skull.

Because it certainly felt like there was a lot she needed to unleash.

She managed one word,

"I…" before the dam burst.

And just like that, silent tears, a whole continuous stream of then, spilled down her face. She wasn't' even aware of it until Robin smiled at her and was at her side in the blink of an eye, one arm around her shoulders, the other holding a tissue under her chin as the tears rolled down endlessly.

"Y'see, I wondered when this was going to happen. I had my bets for Friday but you came a day early." He said it all jokingly and despite herself, she allowed something that was caught between a sob and a laugh burst from her lips. Well, this was anything but normal but then again…

"H-how'd you-?"

The dark haired boy laughed then and patted her on the head. "Come on, Raven, give me a little more credit. I'm damn smart and I knew something was up the minute you and Speedy took to each other that time in Steel." Grinning madly, he sighed and shook his head. "And you were always sneaking off. I don't think anyone else knows, but Aqualad sure does."

She figured the Atlantian would. He was always quick that way. But this just made her feel a whole lost less guilty and more so at the same time.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she whispered, wiping her eyes with the tissue.

"Don't worry about it, I could see the guilt eating you up every time you left the Tower. I wondered when you were going to confess."

She turned and looked at him with wide eyes. "Why…didn't you say anything?"

Shooting her a look, Robin shrugged. "Maybe because I wanted _you_ to tell me?" He cocked his head to the side and pushed her wet hair out of her face. "You're like the baby of this family, you know that?"

That made her stop. She turned to him with a twitching, wet eye. "Excuse me?"

Laughing and holding up his hands in surrender, he shook his head. "Not like that! It's just…well…I know you and me are one of the oldest but…everyone looks out for you, _especially_ you."

A genuinely confused and bewildered frown knotted her brows. "Why?"

"Because even if you don't realise it, you're what keeps us always together. I mean when we fight? You're _always_ the calm one who will force us to sit down and talk and make up. You're like…the kid that keeps their parents from divorcing."

"Well that's a weird way of putting it."

"You know what I mean."

"I…" she stopped and then regarded him carefully. They actually cared for her this much. She was this special to them. And she never realised. How blind could anyone be? Unable to contain herself, Raven flung herself into his arms and hugged him tightly. "So you still care?"

She could tell he was as surprised as she was at her actions but he too hugged her back. "Of course, I never stopped."

She sniffed and rested her head against his shoulder, smiling to herself. "So…does he like you back?"

Sighing, she closed her eyes. "I don't know."

"Oh, so you guys haven't got there yet."

"I don't think we will."

"Why?"

"Because…"

Because she was too afraid to ruin what she had? Yes, that sounded about right.

"He does like you back if that's any help."

The girl froze and pulled back, watching for any signs of teasing but his face was completely serious even with that smile. "What?"

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "Is that so hard to believe?"

Violet eyes blinked and the flattened. "Yes."

"Aqualad told me so. I mean, he knows Speedy like no one else does. They're best friends and heck, even _I_ could tell he liked you." He said all this seriously, arms folded in that way of his but Raven still couldn't believe it. "So you should tell him."

Her eyes went wide. "Are you insane?"

"Or I could tell him for you."

"You wouldn't."

"You know I would."

"He wouldn't believe you."

"With you trying to kill me in the background I'd say he would."

A small, humoured smile played the edges of her lips, threatening to spill. "You're actually being serious."

He smiled genuinely and placed a hand on top of her head. "Only because you're so hard to convince. Have a little faith, if not in yourself than in me. Just go already will you?"

Scoffing, she motioned to her clothes. "Now? And besides, he's probably asleep."

The sly look on his face kind of freaked her out at this point. "All the better to take advantage of the situation. He'll think he's dreaming and then totally let you in and the next morning he wakes up next to you and he can't do a damn thing about it."

She _almost_ wanted to laugh and then thought about what Speedy had said to her at one point. "Lateral thinking, huh?"

Her answer was a smirk. "So, you going? I'll drive you."

--

If it was one thing he hated, it was being woken up from sleep, not to mention a really good dream that involved him, a bed and some girl with violet eyes and hair and dark skin. He growled in annoyance as the bell continued to ring, wondering who the hell would wake him at this godawful hour. The only one who knew he was staying here for the weekend was Raven and she was probably in bed somewhere.

Wait…Raven….that made him stop in his tracks. _She_ had been the girl in his dream. Damn! And he didn't even get to finish his dream! Whoever this person was, he'd better have a damned good explanation for interrupting them!

Then again, he did feel a little guilty about fantasising about the empath and her long legs wrapped around his waist, his arms around her tiny body as he looked down at her and…

_Okay maybe I shouldn't be thinking about her like that…_

Groggily, he made his way out of his bed, tripping over a slipper and cursing as he banged his shin against the bed. He reached up, making sure he had his mask on. Check. He didn't realise he was shirtless thought and stumbled through the doorway to the living room and across to the front door. The bell rang again and he winced at the sound.

"Coming, coming, hold your horses," he muttered, still half asleep as his hands worked the lock and opened the door.

"What do you –" he stopped abruptly as he opened the door and just stared.

"Hey, Roy."

A/N: Cliffie!! YAY! Okay, sorry this took a while but as you can see, it's hella long!  Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far! We're almost done with this story thankfully so that gives me more time to work on my other upcoming stories! Yay! MAYBE I'll do more Speedy/Rae fics but I still need the final instalment to Sex-Ed which everyone's been waiting for! I hope it'll be good for ya'll! Anyways, please review and tell me what you think!  Oh and this chapter is dedicated to Chica De Los Ojos Café because she's such a wonderful reviewer!! hugs

Peace out!  
Rex


	6. Claire And Craving

Come Undone

Chapter 6: Claire And Craving

"Claire?"

A pair of cheeky, sly, dark eyes gazed back at him, a strawberry blonde ponytail bobbing at the top of her head as she grinned at him.

"Long time no see, Roy. I see you're still doing to hero business." That voice made him grimace. For years, he had to tolerate her voice nagging and grating against his ear drums from early in the morning to way past midnight. The woman never shut up.

The red head scowled and folded his arms. "What are you doing here?"

She mock pouted. "Not happy to see me? And I thought you were supposed to be chivalrous." But she brightened immediately and pushed past him, making her way happily into his home. "Nice place, you're loaded!" Roy glared at her all the while, folding his arms and shaking his head. She hadn't changed a bit. Turning around to face him, with an expectant look on her face, the wench said quickly, "I need cash."

The boy rolled his eyes behind his mask. "When do you _not_? Who the hell did you blow it off with this time?"

She smiled and he had to restrain from strangling her. "How'd you know? I went down to Cabo a few weeks ago with Rhonda and Kathleen. It was so much fun!"

Claire always did things like this; spending all her savings on shopping and travelling and then coming to him begging for cash because he was her ever loving and giving _brother_. Yes, Claire was the apple of his parents' eyes, she could come home drunk at four in the morning and they'd still shower her with presents and gifts and whatnot. It was sickening but in their eyes, she could do no wrong. Roy on the other hand…

His lip curled wryly. "I'm sure it was. Now please leave."

She turned defiant. "But I need money! I haven't paid my rent! And mum and dad are out of the country and they didn't leave their keys behind like they usually do."

"Maybe they've learned not to let you have parties at their place."

"But Roy, I promise I'll pay you back!"

"No you won't."

"Yes I will!"

"Like the fifty times before that you promised?"

"…Is it really that many?"

Jasper eyes rolled again and he sighed. "How much do you need?"

She squealed and jumped onto him, clinging to his neck and squeezing him tightly. "Oh, Roy, I knew I could count on you! You're the best!"

The red head roughly pushed her off and scowled. "I'm only doing this because I know that if I don't you'll never leave."

Again with the mock pout, she managed to rile him up. "Why can't you be nicer to me, huh Roy? I'm your sister after all."

He ignored her and walked over to his chest of drawers, pulling out the top and picking up his cheque-book, quickly scribbling out a few thousand into her account. He handed it over without so much as a second glance and then walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water.

"Now, please leave."

Claire took one look at the cheque and smirked. "Roy, I love you."

His fists clenched at his side. "If you did, you'd leave."

She sidled up to him and rested an elbow on his shoulder, saying sweetly, "But I just _love_ spending time with you."

He hated it when she did that; acting sweet to try and get her way. It may work with her parents but most definitely not with him. He loved his sister, deep down he really did. But that part wasn't given the chance to flourish because she was just so damn annoying, had absolutely no tact _or_ sense of morality and she pissed the living daylights out of him.

"No you don't, you just want to check all my drawers while I'm asleep to see if there's any money," he retorted simply, brushing her off and folding his arms, looking down at her disapprovingly.

She frowned then, hurt and defiant. "I'm not like that." But even her voice shook as she said it. Even she wasn't so blind as to her own personality. The blond stepped back and looked at the ground guiltily and angrily. "Why do you always enjoy pointing out my bad qualities? You've always like making me feel worthless. I don't…I don't understand it."

Now he felt guilty but he wouldn't admit it and thus let his anger override whatever feelings of remorse he felt. "You're such a _kid_, Claire! Grow up and act like an adult for once in your pampered little life! You never take responsibility for _anything_ you do! Mum and Dad just wait and dote on your every call but you offer them _nothing_ in return! You're always dropping in every hour of the night to mooch off me and then you go and blow it all in some casino! For fuck's sake, Claire!"

He glared at the tears that gathered in her eyes, her amber orbs glaring darkly up at him. But she couldn't say anything. What could she say anyway? He was right, Roy revelled. Again. They'd had this conversation before, many, many, many times. But she never listened.

"Take the money, and leave. If you ever come back here looking for money, I won't be home. You'll get no welcome here, sister or not," he said dangerously, his jaw stiff and his words cutting. She actually flinched but continued glaring at the floor. The part that hurt him though, was he actually felt good about making her feel like dirt. What kind of a brother did that to his own sister?

He was so blinded by his rage, that he almost didn't hear her say in a quiet voice,

"Sorry."

He blinked and stared. "What?"

She looked up then, her eyes brimming with tears as she choked out, "I said I'm sorry." The girl sniffed and shuddered, wiping her tears away furiously. Never, had she ever cried when he yelled at her about this. When they were younger he made her cry all the time and always got a great bashing for it, but ever since she'd grown up, she had never cried because of him.

He raised a hand to the bridge of his nose and massaged it there, tiredly and sighed. "Oh, Claire." Reluctantly, and with as little feeling as possible, he walked up to her and enveloped her in a hug, letting her cry into his chest. Maybe he had gone a little too far this time. But – he desperately hoped – maybe this would be the last time. Rolling his eyes, he said in annoyance, "God, you're such a baby."

He was replied with something between a sob and a laugh as she continued crying into his chest, sending trails of tears down his bare abdomen. He sighed and patted her on the head but froze when he felt someone at the door.

_Shit_

He knew that feeling and with much reluctance and hope that he was wrong, he lifted his gaze up and met a pair of amethyst orbs staring back at him, stunned surprise evident on her exotic features. He froze and noted that her gaze travelled to the girl in his arms.

He did not expect to see Raven here and at this time no less. In fact he hadn't expected any company whatsoever but then again, it wasn't as if things usually went his way at all. And that look in her eyes…it made him lose all control.

He knew she was trying her hardest not to show it but he couldn't miss that look of betrayal. Something flashed across her eyes and she bit her bottom lip.

_Double shit_

Uh oh, this was _not_ good.

"Raven," he managed out in an almost whisper but the violet eyed girl immediately snapped back to attention and backed away slowly, seemingly unable to comprehend the situation. Claire looked up at him in confusion and then followed his gaze to the doorway.

"Oh!"

Raven turned and walked away quickly, her footsteps echoing down the hallway.

"Raven!" he shouted, moving to follow but then pausing to give his sister a desperate look.

The blonde blinked and then suddenly realised what was happening, flustered as she said, "Oh, right! Go, go! Yes! Go, of course!"

He dashed after her.

_Oh God, oh God, oh God_

He saw the back of her feet round the corner and he heard her feet clattering quickly down the stairs. The red head didn't know why he was chasing after her, at least that thought wasn't right at the front of his mind while he ran. Damn she could be fast when she wanted to be. But why wasn't she teleporting?

_Because a part of her wants you to catch her_

So that means…

He couldn't finish that thought for not wanting to raise his own hopes in vain. But he couldn't help it, hope surged through him because she was there, trying to get away half-heartedly and he was running after her full force. She burst through the front doors and leapt onto the street and he could see how she landed easily on her feet, her hair flying around her.

"Raven, stop!" he called, hoping she wouldn't fly off home. _Please wait for me._

She had stopped.

The doors swung closed.

And he smiled and jumped down the stairs after her.

His arms closed around her as his feet touched the ground and Raven didn't move to push him away.

They stood there in the middle of the street like that for a long time, shivering. Although, after a while he realised that she wasn't shivering because of the cold. She shuddered, her chest heaving gently. He held her tighter and buried his face into her hair.

"Hey, you."

She sniffed and released a shuddering breath, not answering him.

Roy cleared his throat and rested his chin onto her shoulder, which proved to be a little difficult because of the height difference.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing up at this time in a place like this?" he asked in that flirty way of his that he _knew_ made her blush. He could feel the heat through her black and white striped, long sleeved cotton shirt. It looked and felt very comfortable.

The girl sniffed again and folded her arms, right underneath where his were clasped around her.

"She's uh…no one important…is she?" Her question was more of a statement and told him how much of an idiot she felt. He couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that, my sister, no matter how flaky, is fairly important to me."

Her pride was not doing well tonight.

"Sister. Right."

His arms tightened. "Raven…"

She pushed him off then. "Don't 'Raven' me, Roy!" she snapped, embarrassed. The two stomps she took towards the front before stopping reminded him of a child who was just caught doing something wrong and didn't want to admit she was wrong. She curled her arms around herself and started tearing again, her body trembling.

Roy grinned and stuffed his hands into his pocket, taking a small step towards her. "Rae…"

"Shut up," she choked out, and he could feel the glare she was giving the ground.

This was it, he realised.

Oh how he adored her right then.

"Hey, Sunshine," he whispered teasingly, standing right behind her, a smirk tugging on his lips.

She sobbed and lowered her head, burying her face into her fists and trying to wipe the tears away. "You're such a jerk." She was pulling at straws now and he couldn't hold it off any longer.

Roy grabbed Raven's arm and spun her around into his chest, hugging her to him possessively and this time, she didn't resist. "Hey, Sunshine," he said affectionately again, stroking her hair and rocking her in his arms.

She tried to scoff but failed and settled for, in a dull voice, "I hate you."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do," she retorted flatly. "You made me cry. Twice."

A thin red brow rose. "Twice?"

She rolled her eyes and admitted, defeated, "Fine, three times. During the way here. Robin had to stop by the convenience store to get tissues."

He pulled back at looked down at her flushed, wet face, concern lacing his tone. "Robin?"

The violet haired girl nodded dully. "He's known for a while now."

He nodded, thinking to himself, _"Figures he'd know."_ But then paused and allowed a slow, cunning smirk to grow onto his lips. "He couldn't have known anything…"

Raven frowned and looked up in confusion. "What? Were you _not_ liste-"

"He couldn't have known because there wasn't anything _to_ know," he interrupted smoothly, that cocky grin visibly making the girl more annoyed by the second.

"What are you…" she trailed off as he took her hands, lacing his fingers with hers, a dirty smile on his face.

She continued to look at him in wonder, not understanding one bit of what he was doing. But Roy knew now was it. Or it was now…whichever sounded more dramatic.

"Raven?"

She blinked.

"Yes?"

He continued to consider her, and brought her hands up to his face, smiling down warmly at the sudden realisation that appeared in her wide eyes. Her fingers were now touching the edge of the mask at his temples.

Worry creased her brow. "Roy…are…you…?"

He shook his head. "Are _we_, Rae. Are _we _doing this?"

Of her own accord, the tip of her fingers touched the mask. "Can we?"

His lips twitched. "Do you want to?"

A ghost of a smile tickled her lips when she nodded, somewhat shyly and slowly.

"Then do it."

Her fingers made feather-light movements across his skin and it sent goose bumps up and down his spine. She was just so…_so_…

He closed his eyes as her fingers curled around the edges and slowly peeled the only piece of fabric that blocked the two of them. She dropped the mask to the ground, his eyes still closed. But just as he was about to open them, he felt a pair of soft lips touch his. His eyes shot wide open and his world melted.

He actually forgot to kiss back.

--

When she pulled away and finally looked into his jasper orbs, all the breath left her lungs and she simply stared. Raven was never one to be rendered speechless by something so physical but this was like seeing him for the first time but having known him for ages. Like meeting an old friend. They were liquid pools of dark fire, all beautiful and warm as they gazed down at her.

"Wow," was all she managed and immediately regretted it when she saw the boyishly surprised expression, which made her roll her own eyes.

"Really?"

She scoffed in disgust and pushed him away, walking back up the stairs to his apartment. "Not anymore."

He started, defiant. "Hey! You can't do that!" He walked after her.

She shot him a look. "Try and stop me."

He smirked and followed her through the doors. "Is that a challenge?"

A/N: YES! I finally finished this chapter. HOLY CRAP MOTHER F#!! This was damn hard to write but I've finally done it! HA! And surprisingly, this is one of the fastest stories I've ever written…and probably one of the suckiest…UGH I actually don't like this chapter all that much but at the same time, I couldn't think of any other way to write it. I guess I just want to end this story soon before I get bored and make it drag on for years or so…like some of my others…ehehe. AND I still need to finish Lost in Delirium which is pretty much dying of neglect over there. Sigh…ANYWAYS thank you all for reviewing the last chapter! Please review and tell me what you think! But NO flames please because they suck and I don't like them and I'm in desperate need of some sleep. -- Next chapter will be the last chapter!

Peace out!  
Rex


	7. Constant

Come Undone

Chapter 7: Constant

"What do you want for dinner?"

A thin, red brow rose in question. "Rae, it's ten in the morning. Dinner isn't for another what, ten hours?"

The empath rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Never heard of dinner for breakfast?"

Roy snorted from his place at the dining table and put down his newspaper, grinning at the purple haired girl who had a little mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "What did you plan on making?" he asked, standing up and hopping over the counter to stand in front of her as she leaned against the drawers next to the kitchen sink.

Raven shrugged looked thoughtfully at his fridge. "Leftovers from the barbeque last week. I was going to heat it up."

He took a step closer. "Do we have any dessert?"

She shot him an annoyed glance. "We're _not_ having ice cream for breakfast."

Smirking, he leaned closer, placing his hands either side of her on the counter, effectively locking her in. "Who said anything about ice cream? Dessert for breakfast sounds…_fun_ though…" he murmured, their noses almost touching.

Her lips twitched slightly. "Dessert for breakfast huh?"

"Mmhmm."

It was her turn to smirk. "What kind?"

His lips brushed her ear, sending a shiver up and down her spine and then up again. "The dirty kind."

"You're gross."

"You didn't seem to think so last weekend."

"…I had too much soda."

"We didn't _have_ soda, Raven."

"Water then."

"You're evil."

"Incarnate."

"That too."

Allowing the slightest bit of warmth in her eyes, she smiled a small smile and pushed him away. "Maybe later," she muttered before walking to the fridge and pulling out some containers of chicken wings and lamb chops. The jasper eyed boy chuckled and shook his head, giving his girlfriend a kiss on the cheek before walking over to the kettle.

"Green tea or jasmine today?"

"Jasmine, thanks." Raven proceeded to pull out pieces of frozen meat with her fingers, placing them on a plate and then heating them up in the microwave, watching Roy's back secretly, as he put just the right amount of tea leaves into her mug and helped himself to some coffee.

She smiled internally at how lucky she felt. Her friends – well, Robin was still the only one who knew – supported her and she couldn't help the gratitude she sent to him, especially considering how he was keeping the other Titans preoccupied and off her case. She figured that it would be Cyborg who found out next followed by Starfire and finally Beast Boy.

She wasn't too sure about the Titan's East though, Aqualad already knew – and had sworn to never ever come over to his best friend's place when Raven was over having walked in on them on the couch a few weeks ago – and she supposed Bumble Bee and the twins were bound to find out eventually.

At least she wasn't on Bumble Bee's bad side. She was fairly sure they were mutual friends at least. Beast Boy may be in a shock-induced coma for a while though. Not that she minded in the least; a few days of silence were always welcome.

"Stop staring, Rae, someone might think you wanna jump me," he said boredly, not bothering to turn and look at her as he poured the boiled water into the two mugs.

Amethyst orbs widened considerably at the archer's instincts and Raven quickly turned away once the microwave started its incessant bleeping, to pull out the hot food.

She mumbled a quick, "Breakfast is ready," before levitating the food onto the table and setting out plates and cutlery. With a wave of her hands, she lifted the hot mugs and lowered them next to the food at their respected seats and turned to find the red head looking at her with an amused smile.

"Gee, I knew I could make you uncomfortable but I didn't think I was _that_ good."

Purple brows knitted together in defiance. "I'm not uncomfortable."

He cocked his head to the side. "Oh _really_?"

_Yes, really…sort of…damn_.

The way he was looking at her with those cat-like eyes of his made her both apprehensive and excited and a whole lot more aware that she was wearing nothing but a large t-shirt – his of course – and her undergarments. And she was more than sure that her shirt rode up in her sleep and with someone as "hands-on" as Roy sleeping next to her, it was a given that he'd had more than his share of fun staying up late while she slept. Damn him and those rotten dreams he gave her!

She stood awkwardly, refusing to look at him, her eyes moving between the floor and the walls. It really wasn't fair that he could do these things to her. Not fair at all. And what was even worse was how pleased with himself he looked.

"You really can't lie."

Glaring at him, she turned on her heel and skulked off towards the table, sitting down with a scowl and pulling her tea towards her. "And if you don't sit down and eat, this is going out the window," the girl threatened, her black energy pooling in the palm of her hand.

Not skipping a beat, he swung himself over the counter again and stood behind her chair pulling it back roughly, causing her to yelp and grab onto his neck while he planted his lips over hers, not bothering to ask for entry as his tongue swept between her lips and around her mouth. _Oh, wow_.

Now _that_ was one amazing kiss.

Curling her fingers through his hair, she sighed and relaxed, ignoring the 'I-told-you-so' smile she felt against her lips. He held the chair with ease and gently eased it down, his lips never leaving hers as he turned her around so she wasn't upside down anymore, and pulled her into his arms and picked her up.

"How's that for out the window?" he whispered, smirking against her lips, her legs wrapped around his waist.

Opening her hazy eyes, she leaned in and nipped his bottom lip making him smile that lop-sided smile of his. "Dessert it is."

--

About an hour later, Raven stumbled off the sofa in a hurry and skittered towards the dining table, her face flushed and her hair all in disarray. Roy kept trying to pull her back into his ever so welcoming arms and it had worked for about twenty minutes until she caught the time.

Sending the boy an annoyed frown, she hissed angrily, "I need to meet Robin and the others for lunch. We haven't hung out much lately."

The red head sighed and slumped in his seat across from her, downing his cold coffee in one go. "But you live with them," he complained, poking at a sausage and cutting himself a small piece.

She too finished off her tea, Roy watching her intently the entire time as she looked to the ground, a slight trace of guilt in her eyes. He felt bad for saying anything at all. He knew that the Titans often spent time together and ever since she'd begun to feel more comfortable around him and her friends, it had been _him_ who had taken up her time. Not the other way around.

"I know I live with them. But," she looked up and shrugged apologetically, "they're my team as well as my friends. I'll come back before dinner."

He sighed again and smiled warmly, standing up and ruffling her hair, planting a kiss on top of her head.

"I know, I'm sorry. You go have fun and I'll catch you later."

He finished off his breakfast as Raven changed in his room and then went to shower right after she left. He offered to drive her but the girl said she wanted to keep the others in the dark just a little longer. He expected it had something to do with the fuss they would all make when they found out and he had to admit that it did sound pretty annoying. But he knew she could handle it if forced to.

As the water rushed down his torso, drenching his hair and bouncing off his lashes at time, he thought to himself what he'd got himself into. Raven was _not_ an easy person to be with and he expected the same could be said about himself. They were an odd item, a strange couple to say the least but they'd brought it this far and there was no going back now. He didn't know if they would even want to but still, doubts and worries clouded his vision of what their future would be like.

The world was getting more and more dangerous by the day and as heroes, there was no guarantee that they'd win in every single battle. Perhaps that was what scared him the most. Knowing that he could come home to the Tower one day and have Aqualad and the others give him some dreadful news. He didn't think he could handle something like that.

But that was their lives. And although everyday she would be miles away, he could live knowing she was alive. Even if it meant that they couldn't be near each other to keep and eye on each other, making sure they weren't dead yet. Who the hell could help him through something like that? Raven would be the only one who could.

Running a hand through his hair, the boy closed his eyes and tried to imagine their future. What they could be, what they would be and what they should be. He could try. He could try to be a better person. He could try to make sure he never failed her and left her alone. He could train harder if it meant that he'd always be able to walk to her whenever he needed to.

He could do all those things and of that he was certain.

And he would die for her if he had to. He would try to give up everything that upset her. He would try to make sure he didn't get himself caught up in all those illegal things he was known for in his past. He would try to keep all his promises to her. He would kill himself if he ever made her cry.

He would do anything for her if he had to.

But that left all the things he should do and didn't know if he could or ever would.

He should stop going to bars whenever he was depressed. He should stop blackmailing her emotionally and making her spend more time with him than with her team mates. He should stop being jealous of how close she was with Robin. He should stop drinking and smoking and learn to keep his place clean. He should learn how to keep his anger in check. He should try to make himself a better person for her to keep her from her demons.

And he should never ever let her leave.

If it was something he wouldn't be able to live with himself for, it would be if he let her leave.

Sure he couldn't protect her from her job or save her when she was in peril. But he could be there for her when she needed him and even when she didn't. Even when she wanted to kill him or walk out on him or slap him or beat the utter crap out of him, he could still be there for her.

He wouldn't abandon her. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't. Because she wouldn't abandon him if he needed her. That wouldn't happen.

His mind went back to their half-awake conversation last night. A conversation that made his heart quicken in panic and dread.

"_How long do you think we'll last?" she asked, her eyes heavy as she lay on the sofa with him on top of her, his head on her stomach as he lazily flicked through the channels._

_He had got the shock of his life when she asked and looked up to see her in her own little world. Calming down, the boy laid himself back down and admitted solemnly, "I don't know."_

"_I want us to last," she whispered, her voice more faraway now._

_He curled his fingers through her limp ones._

"_Me too."_

_She laughed drowsily, in a dreamlike state._

"_Make sure we last, okay?"_

_He turned off the T.V and closed his eyes, squeezing her fingers through his._

"_I'll try. Will you?"_

"_Always."_

_She was asleep and he fell into slumber not long after._

--

"The vegetarian, the spicy vegetarian, I know Cy wants the meat lovers, and Rae and Robin want the pepperoni, Starfire wants…er…anything with mustard….and I want the tofu chilli!" Beast Boy exclaimed, checking each of his fingers off as the waitress took down their order, annoyed and flustered at the amount teenagers ate these days.

Still, it meant more tips for her. Oh if only she knew Beast Boy.

With a flourish, she raised her brows at the five heroes and nodded before bouncing off, her brown ponytail bobbing up and down in the air. They'd ordered drinks, fries and dessert prior to their pizza order and it took all of their efforts not to keep their green friend from jumping out of his seat and ordering the Mega Grande Sundae Special. That was just a _little _too big for all of them to finish.

Starfire laughed and turned to the girl next to her, "So, friend Raven, was your trip to the mall of shopping successful?"

"No," she said, not exactly lying. "I couldn't find anything for dinner that wouldn't be thrown out by Beast Boy over here." Well, her dinner for breakfast _was_ meat…

Robin shot her a wry, knowing look and inwardly groaned, leaving a very amused Raven. "Please, Raven, not before lunch. You guys acting all mushy makes lose my appetite," he muttered under his breath so only the empath could hear. She smirked mentally and sat up straighter, smug as she sipped on her coke.

"Jealous?" she asked, not looking at him as he spluttered and choked on his own drink.

"Of who?" he demanded in a hushed undertone.

Amethyst orbs locked onto a pair of masked ones and exchanged a look with him. "We both know you're using me and Roy as placebos Robin." Her gaze softened as he looked away guiltily. "If _we_ of all people can make it work. Who says you can't?"

He snorted flatly. "I'm not seeing anyone."

Purple eyes rolled. "Spare me the denial. I know you're over Star but you_ do_ get along…interestingly enough with Jinx."

Masked orbs widened in shock. "That pink-haired villain?"

"_EX-villain­ _moron, and what's wrong with pink hair? Mine _is_ purple," she said dangerously, eyeing the others and making sure they weren't listening.

Robin laughed nervously and stuffed his straw into his mouth, nearly choking on it. "I'm just gonna drink now…"

All the guys around her could be such idiots sometimes. Endearing idiots, but idiots nonetheless.

"Denial."

"_Mushy_."

"Jealous."

"…Purple haired maniac."

-PUNCH-

"Ouch!"

The leader rubbed his right ribs sagely, thankful when the waitress came right then with their four pizzas to divert everyone's attention from him. Turning to her calm form, he sighed and mumbled an apology.

Of course Raven could never stay mad at Robin of all people. "It's fine. You're just being stupid."

"…I should kick you off this team for being such a smart aleck," he uttered begrudgingly.

She almost smiled. "But then where would you be?"

"_Not_ in the hospital getting bandaged, I can tell you that." He pulled himself a slice of pizza and then looked at her with a curiosity. "So…you're good then, right?"

"I'm just super."

Shooting her a look, he explained. "I _mean_ you and him. You guys are…?"

She had to think then. What were they? They were officially a couple she supposed. They did the usual couple things – except sleep with each other of course – and they lessened their boundaries around each other. But they'd only just begun really. What were they? She liked him a lot. And she hoped they'd be able to keep what they had for a long, long time. So…they were…

"We're happy," she finally said, simply, a wistful twinkle in her eyes that made one of her best friend's next to her smile.

"You're happy, huh?"

She looked at him and allowed herself a small smile. "Yeah."

"Then I wish you guys luck."

--

Later that night, Raven lay down on the couch, watching an old classic with Roy lying on his side, in the same position as her, behind her, one arm draped over her waist as they watched Humphrey Bogart tip the chin of Audrey Hepburn up and look at her in that roughish way of his.

"You have to go back early tomorrow morning," he said gently, stroking her hair.

"Mm."

"I'll see you next Saturday then?"

"If there's no trouble in Jump then yes."

"Mm."

She smiled and cuddled closer to him. "We'll work something out eventually."

He nodded, burying his face in her neck. "We'll find a way."

Violet orbs closed and the girl whispered softly, "Goodnight, Roy."

He flicked off the TV and held onto her, pulling the blanket up around the both of them.

"Night, Sunshine."

Whatever happened, they'd find problems. It was only natural.

But…

They'd work something out eventually.

THE END

A/N: Buahah! I've finally finished this! YES! Oh lord…this took long to write…I went through a writer's block for about a week and I had no clue what to write for the last chapter. Okay fine, so I was procrastinating too and watching lots of anime and bribing my parents to buy me a wacom but that takes time and a lot of effort so I'm sorry this is late. BUT I'm pretty happy with this as a final chapter. It ties things off pretty well I think.

Anyways thank you to everyone who has reviewed, I love you guys to death and I think this might be my last Titans fic for a while, at least until I get back into it again. I think I've written way too many oneshots for TT… But if you're interested in any of the other stories that I do, don't hesitate to read and drop a review! So thank you all for reading this far and a BIG TUB OF ICE CREAM TO ALL OF YOU FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME! :D

Peace out!  
Rex


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